Editorial

Pneumonia day: every day

Recently observed World Pneumonia Day sought to shed light on the high number of child pneumonia cases in the country

Editorial November 15, 2015

Recently observed World Pneumonia Day sought to shed light on the high number of child pneumonia cases in the country. PHOTO: AFP

When we talk about the protection of citizens of Pakistan, we tend to address the primary concerns of security. However, another way to ensure people’s well-being is via the provision of access to adequate healthcare. There are five countries that account for 99 per cent of the world’s child pneumonia cases and unsurprisingly, Pakistan is one of them. The recently observed World Pneumonia Day sought to shed light on the high number of child pneumonia cases in the country. Given the negative attitude that the populace at large has towards vaccines, there is a dire need to create awareness regarding their necessity. This has to be a top priority.

Pakistan spends around 2.8 per cent of its GDP on health, amongst some of the lowest percentages in the world. Its child mortality rate — of which pneumonia is one cause, with 92,000 children dying of it every year — is approximately 8.1 per cent, one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. The country’s Extended Programme on Immunisation is clearly lagging behind in its quest to vaccinate the population against different diseases. We are still battling polio, which has been eliminated from most countries and are rendered incapacitated when it comes to countering common diseases of the 21^st century, such as dengue. Government hospitals across the country, with few exceptions, remain in dilapidated conditions. The priorities of the federal and provincial governments are skewed. Perhaps, when they are finished bickering over pedestrian matters, they can focus on long-term strategies for the well-being of citizens, such as large-scale vaccination programmes and awareness campaigns. Presently, they seem to know and care little about the plight of patients who are forced to travel long distances to reach poorly equipped government hospitals and struggle to pay even the most modest of medical fees.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2015.

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